Barr Blue beats all at Muirkirk

Barr Blue beats all at Muirkirk

Horrendous autumnal showers failed to deter exhibitors and spectators to Muirkirk Show, where first time exhibitor, Alex Kirkpatrick, Barr, Sanquhar, not only dominated the Bluefaced Leicester section but also won the overall champion of champions.

Judge Andrew Hunter Blair, an auctioneer with Craig Wilson, from Nether Cleugh, Dalry, tapped out Mr Kirkpatrick's champion ewe lamb as his choice of supreme overall. A daughter of a £5000 Yorehouse ram bought last year at Hawes, this previously unshown lamb is bred from a ewe by a Midlock ram – one of only 20 ewes in the Barr flock.

A ewe lamb also topped the competitive Blackface section with an entry from Jamie, Matthew, Hannah and Andrew Dunlop's Upper Wellwood flock from Muirkirk, lifting the tri-colour. She is a daughter of the £28,000 Auldhouseburn lamb of which a share was bought last year, and out of ewe by an £11,000 Dyke.

And, another cracking show of beef calves was topped by the Lairds from Carbello and Sunnyside, Cumnock, who led the line-up this year with Tick Tock Don't Stop, a home-bred Limousin cross steer, that scooped the supreme at Biggar. She is by the stock bull, Kinniside Mobydick and will be sold at the Cally Show and Sale at Stirling today (Friday).

Blackface shepherd's (Judge: A Macpherson, Balliemeanoch, Dalmally). Champion – M Robertson, Clonrae, Thornhill, with last year's champion, a two-crop Auldhousburn-bred ewe bought privately. Second in her class at Glenkens, she is by a £160,000 Dalchirla and out of a ewe by Bolt. Reserve – J and M Dunlop, Upper Wellwood, with a tup lamb shown by Andrew Dunlop (16). Another by the £28,000 Auldhouseburn bought last year, he is bred from a ewe by a £5000 Crossflatt.

Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: A Shennan, Farden, Girvan). Champion and overall champion of champions and reserve – A Kirkpatrick, Barr, Sanquhar, exhibiting here for the first time. His champion, a ewe lamb is by a £5000 Yorehouse ram bought at Hawes last year, and bred from a home-bred ewe by a Midlock ram. She was on her first outing. Reserve was a tup lamb by the same sire but out of a home-bred ewe by an SP Dalpeddar ram, one of only 20 ewes in the Barr flock. Ram, ewe – D Bryson. Tup lamb, gimmer, ewe lamb, bred, group – A Kirkpatrick.

Scotch Mule (Judge: A Shennan). Champion – G Allan, Orcharton, Ochiltree, with a Finniness ewe lamb bought privately after Mr Allan placed her champion at Glenkens Show. Champion at Stewartry, she is by a G5 Finniness. Reserve – J Guild, Laight, New Cumnock, with a one-crop ewe bought as a ewe lamb from Drumbuie. She was shown by Alec Hamilton and was champion at New Cumnock and Dumfries. Ewe, gimmer – J Guild. Ewe lamb, pen of three ewe lambs – G Allan.

Texel (Judge: S Rorison). Champion – J Cuthbertson, Bents, Chapelton, with a one-crop ewe bought privately last December from Andrew Neilson, East Brackenridge. She is by Knock Yardsman and out of a Brackenridge ewe. Reserve – M and G Ballantyne, East Cauldcoats, Strathaven, with Roadend Crusty, a home-bred tup lamb by Haddo Breadwinner out of a Brackenridge-bred ewe by Knock Yardsman. Ram, lamb – M and G Ballantyne. Female – J Cuthbertson.

Any other continental (Judge: S Rorison). Champion – J and D Hodge, Dykes, Cumnock, with a gimmer by Kingledores Bruticus out of a ewe by the home-bred Saltire. Reserve – D Cunningham, Walkerdyke, Strathaven, with the second prize gimmer, Walkerdyke Daisy, which stood reserve here last year. She is by Brickrow Cracker and out of a home-bred ewe. Male, female, lamb – J and D Hodge.

Any other native breed (Judge: S Rorison). Champion – Katie Burns (9), with a Ryeland ewe lamb by Carsfad Valencia, a former Highland Show winner. Reserve – John Duncan, with Hope Lady, a four-year-old Jacob ewe bought at St Boswells.

Beef – Champion – T Laird and Son, Carbello, Cumnock, with Tick Tock Don't Stop, a home-bred Limousin cross bullock that was champion at Biggar and inter-breed calf at Newmills. He is by the stock bull, Kinniside Moby Dick, which was bought at Carlisle in October 2017 and out of a British Blue cross Limousin. He is destined for the Cally Calf Show and sale today (Friday). Reserve – T Laird and Son, with a previously unshown yearling bullock by the same sire, out of a home-bred British Blue cross Limousin cow, also bound for the Cally. Breeding cattle – Champion and reserve overall beef – D Cook, Glendoune with a black Blonde cross calved heifer bought at Thainstone last year in calf, from Harry Emslie. Champion at Dalrymple and Glenkens, she was paraded with April-born bullock calf at foot by Whisky Infinity. Reserve – D Cook, with a Limousin cross heifer bought at Lanark, shown with March born Limousin cross calf at foot. Male calf born 2019, heifer calf born 2019, bullock, heifer – T Laird and Son. Cow with spring born bullock calf, cow with spring born heifer calf – D Cook.

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